The present invention relates to an electromagnetically controlled strong box, safety deposit box or the like with encoded unlocking as well as handle means for operating a latch or a dead bolt, and in particular the invention refers to locking a strong box or safety deposit box of the foregoing type having a housing with a suitable recess to receive both the latch bolt and the lock itself.
Locks of the type used in a strong or safety deposit box as per the invention are known in a variety of a configurations. For example safety deposit boxes in banks or bank vaults use lock which include six or seven lock elements (locking pins, tumblers). The customer i.e. the lessee of the safety deposit box is the only one who has control over the respective key. In order to avoid misuse of stolen or lost keys the lock is additionally equipped with an electromagnet whose armature actuates a locking pin which projects into the path of the locking e.eg. the dead bolt. The energization circuits of the electromagnets for all of the various safety deposit boxes in the vault of the bank are monitored by a employee of the bank at a station provided for that purpose. It is his task to check on the identity and authorization of any user of the key. Having satisfied himself he unlocks the electromagnetic blocking mechanism for that particular box. It is inherent that a lock of this kind and here particularly the electromagnet undergoes a certain stroke which in turn requires a minimum volume of occupancy.
Another kind of strong box or the like is known wherein a secret code has to be keyed in and only if the entered code is the correct one will a blocking electromagnet cause a release of the lock; a blocking pin is removed and now the box can be opened and unlocked in the usual fashion. Also here the magnet is required to move over a certain path lengths and is required to consume a certain amount of power so that in fact the blocking pin can be removed by electromagnetic forces.